Rivermen Stifle Ice Bears 4-2 Friday in Knoxville

Photo Credit: Michelle Jephcott/Knoxville Ice Bears

Rivermen Stifle Ice Bears 4-2 Friday in Knoxville

Peoria defense allows just 20 SOG in victory

Knoxville, TN – The Peoria Rivermen took a lead 8:20 into the contest and never trailed, allowing just 20 Knoxville Ice Bears shots on goal as they topped the Ice Bears 4-2 Friday night at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum. The win, Peoria’s second in their last three outings, keeps the Rivermen in fourth place, just four points behind first-place Macon before Saturday’s rematch with the Ice Bears.

The Rivermen opened the scoring near the midway point of period number one. With Peoria applying pressure in the Knoxville zone, Rivermen defenseman Nick Neville took a shot from the right point that knuckled over the shoulder of Knoxville goaltender Brian Billett for a 1-0 lead at 8:20 of the first.

The Ice Bears drew even with a power-play goal late in the first. With Rivermen defenseman Dave Pszenyczny in the box for interference, the Ice Bears worked the puck into the right corner, and Mark Pustin’s pass out to teammate Doug Reid was one-timed past Peoria goaltender Storm Phaneuf for a 1-1 tie at 15:59 of the first.

The Rivermen retook the lead for good just 33 seconds later. On an odd-man rush into the Knoxville zone, newly signed Rivermen center Jackson Leef carried the puck into the right wing before sending a pass across the slot to teammate Christian Weidauer, who ripped a one-timer past Billett for a 2-1 Peoria lead.

The score would remain 2-1 through the rest of the second period and into the third until the Rivermen added an insurance goal. With the puck in the right corner of the Knoxville zone, Rivermen winger Connor Gorman fired a puck to the goalmouth, and it was deflected off a Knoxville defender’s body and past Billett into the net at 7:41 of the third.

Play paused for several minutes during a harrowing moment in the arena midway through the third. After a collision along the left-wing boards of the Knoxville zone, Ice Bears defenseman Spencer Metcalfe was motionless on the ice before medical personnel removed him on a stretcher.

The Ice Bears got within a goal past the halfway point of the period with another power-play tally. With Rivermen center Michael Colantone in the box for delay of game, the Ice Bears worked the puck out to the left point of the Rivermen zone, where Knoxville defenseman Corey Hale corralled it, skated to the high slot, and rifled a shot past Phaneuf for a 3-2 score at 13:24 of the third.

The Rivermen added an insurance tally just 52 seconds later. With the puck at the right point of the Knoxville zone, Neville uncorked a wrist shot that Rivermen winger Cody Dion tipped past Billett for the 4-2 final score.

Phaneuf stopped 18 of 20 shots faced in the win, his tenth of the season. The win gives Phaneuf eight victories in his last nine outings, dating back to a 6-1 win over Knoxville February 19 in Peoria.

Notes: Neville recorded a goal and an assist for a multi-point game in his Rivermen and SPHL debut…Weidauer logged a goal in his first game back with the Rivermen since he was loaned to ECHL Brampton December 30…Rivermen winger Alec Hagaman recorded a pair of assists, giving him three points, all assists, in his last two outings…The Rivermen return to action tomorrow night when they rematch the Ice Bears in Knoxville to conclude the season series…Saturday’s game starts at 6:30 Central Daylight Time, and the broadcast of the game can be heard, starting with the pre-game show, at 6:10 p.m. at http://mixlr.com/peoria-rivermen/

Group, single game, and season tickets for Peoria's 35th season of professional hockey presented by Midwest Orthopaedic Center are on sale at the Toyota Box Office in the Peoria Civic Center, or by phone at the Rivermen office, located at 201 S.W. Jefferson Street, or over the phone at (309) 676-1040. For the latest Rivermen news and notes, follow online at www.rivermen.net or through Facebook (www.facebook.com/PeoriaRivermen) - Twitter(https://twitter.com/Peoria_Rivermen)